Sections

HowToPlone

If you're reading this you're already half way there, you are looking at a Zope/Plone site. Plone is a Content Management System, based on the Content Management Framework for Zope which is an Application Server (or operating system for web applications). Not sure what a CMF is? Then look at WhatIsContentManagement.

How To Plone. Goal driven step by step instruction for adding and editing your site (no need to write any kind of script or software). Covers an explanation of basic concepts, AND instructions for completing basic tasks.

Getting Started

The following gets you up and running with Plone quickly. Read the notes below and look at the presentation here. Feel free (encouraged) to add stuff or make corrections if you notice an omission or error here.

Join Plone. To join the website go to the join form. Click on the join option to be brought to the Registration Form. If you forget your password you can have it automatically emailed to the address you provided during registration. Once you've joined the site have a look at your own home page, update the default home page in your personal folder. This is an opportunity to become familiar with StructuredText.

Look at your personal preferences by clicking on My Preferences in the top tool bar, this area allows you to set your preferences. For example if you do not wish to be included when visitors search the Members database, then uncheck the Listed in searches option on your My Preferences page. This stops your user name bein listed in member searches on the site. Note, your email address is now no longer displayed in Members searches.

Adding a Document to your folder.

Go to your folder by clicking on my folder on the top tool-bar.

Using add new item, add a document to your folder

Give the document a short name, title and description (even some body text if you like) and click save. Notice you can select a page format, more on this later.

You're now looking at your own web page, in Plone its called a document. Notice the new tab items along the top of it; contents, view, edit, properties and sharing?

Select contents for a view of the contents of your current folder and keep an eye out for the string appended to the URL, something likehere/folder_contents

Select a document and note the URL becomes e.g. thing/document_view, then click the edit tab, note the URL becomes e.g.thing/document_edit_form to put some nice body text in place.

Experiment with the Page Format options, have a look at StructuredText if you would like to use it.

PloneWorkFlow - Notice the document state: visible information at the top right of the document tab bar? State here refers to object workflow. The workflow in Plone is used to assign group priveliges to control site access and the document visibility and lifecycle.

This tip deals with some things we can do with the properties tab; Using thekeyword property so that the right thing pops into the related portlet.

The keyword property available on some (not all) objects in Plone enables the site to populate the related portlet if thehere/portlet_related/macros/portlet slot has been activated by your administrator.

By shift-clicking to mark the relevant keywords you see in the list the other objects in plone which have also maked one or more of the same keywords will be displayed in the related portlet.

You dissociate an object from a keyword by un-marking it (it should not appear highlighted)

The existing keywords list for a plone site is global (just one), the only way to depopulate the list of certain keywords is to ensure no object in the site has that keyword selected, the unloved keyword (unused) will be no longer exist in the list.